How You Can Overcome Your Fear of Crowds

A fear of crowds can be awkward to deal with.

Whilst you can be sure that certain places will almost always attract a crowd (big sports matches, crowded commuter routes, that kind of thing), there are other times when a crowd can appear as if from nowhere. It's at times like that where your fear of crowds can really come into its own and disrupt your way of life.

The problem is that our brain learns pretty fast when it wants to. Especially when irrational fears are concerned. And despite what you may think, a fear of crowds isn't the most rational thing to possess. Most crowds are harmless most of the time.

But try telling that to your brain!

Chances are the flight part of your inbuilt "fight or flight" response mechanism has reared its ugly head before you get a chance to reason with it.

So just exactly how do you go about overcoming your fear of crowds?

If your fear is a mild one, it could be that you simply need to mix with small crowds and gradually adjust by gradually mixing with larger and larger crowds. Sometimes taking an understanding friend along with you can be idea - they're with you as a comfort and can help you if your fear suddenly starts to become overwhelming.

But what do you need to do if your fear is bigger than that?

If your fear is holding you back, you have three options:

* Run away from it - move to somewhere rural and isolated for instance.

* Live with it and avoid crowds as much as possible whilst still having a life.

* Face your fear and deal with it.

When it comes down to it, fear is actually pretty cowardly. So the third option (facing your fear of crowds) isn't actually as scary as it may seem.

Think back to the last time you got trapped in a crowd. Sure, it may not have been a pleasant experience for you. But after all the worry and cold sweats, think back. Did you come out of the event unscathed?

Assuming you did come out of your last crowd experience without harm, that's a good start. You can work with that positive memory to start to train your mind to react differently next time you're seemingly trapped in a crowd. Focus on your breathing - take long, deep breaths in and out.

Stay as calm as possible (this gets easier over time - make sure you've got help at hand the first few times you try it).

Gradually, you'll start to reprogram your mind.

If you can, think back to a time when you were happy in a crowd. Maybe a childhood birthday party or maybe a time when you managed to get to the cinema and watch a great movie. If you can find this kind of time, re-live it. In your mind's eye make the memory bigger, brighter, louder. This will help you to associate positive memories with crowds and will help you overcome your fear of crowds faster.

By Trevor Johnson
Get more ways to overcome your fear of crowds and start to cure your crowd phobia.

Quick Motivation Tips to Get You Through the Day

We all have those days where we look at our to-do list and cringe because the tasks seem insurmountable. But if we could turn to quick motivations, we might be able to turn the thought process around and get more done.

You can set yourself up for success by having quick motivators, literally within a few inches from where you are sitting. There are also techniques that can help you overcome overwhelming feelings so you will always have the motivation you need to get through any difficult situation.

Using Quick Motivation Tips to Move You Forward

One of the best ways to find motivation in times of stress is to break down the tasks into manageable chunks. Once you do this, suddenly the list won't seem as insurmountable as you once thought. Look at your task list, determine what needs to get done first, and build momentum from there. You'll find motivation by simply getting things done. You can do it all with a smile on your face and a bounce in your step! This is the way that most of us would like to live our lives, but without quick motivations, it can be difficult to do.

Using Positive Affirmations to Find the Motivation You Need

Many people find quick motivation in positive affirmations. Positive affirmations help you feel confident in your own skin so you can accomplish more and grow as an individual. Instead of allowing a negative internal dialogue to keep you from getting things done, you can use positive affirmations to help you stay focused every step of the way.

This will work even on days when you feel like nothing is going well and you can't possibly get everything done.

You can start saying your affirmations when you start to feel negative about something you have to do, or if you sense negativity creeping into your work. You'll be surprised at how quickly your whole mindset will change, if you are open to it.

Motivational Desktop Wallpapers, Yet Another Fast Motivator!

Another helpful tool is something most people would never consider: motivational desktop wallpapers. Motivational wallpapers can help you escape from the pressures that swirl around you so you can refresh your mind. The power of positive imagery can truly alter the course of your day!

Think about how many times a day you see your computer desktop. Are you getting enough motivation? Motivational wallpapers are one of the quickest ways to motivate yourself to push ahead.

With motivational wallpapers you always can have a motivational picture, quote, or both fingertips during the day. During those moments when you feel like pulling your hair out in frustration, you can minimize everything else on your screen and lose yourself in that picture or quote. You'd be surprised to find how motivational this method really can be! If you are looking for additional motivation, you can take some of your wallpaper images and quotes and turn them into screen savers. Your computer can be transformed from your enemy into your motivator. It's your choice!

Ronnie Nijmeh is the president and founder of ACQYR.com, a motivational website with free wallpaper downloads, positive affirmations, motivational articles and much more. Visit now to read positive affirmations and personal reflections.

Mind Power: Gratitude To Manifest More!

One of the more interesting aspects of the Law of Attraction is found in it's teachings. Fundamentally, it teaches people how to think. Not what to think. Learning how to think, helps focus the mind. Many people discover that focusing the mind, helps improve their life.

The book and DVD, The Secret, is a good introduction to the Law of Attraction, but that's all it is. It focuses on acquiring material possessions. And there's nothing wrong with that.

It's not wrong to be well fed, well clothed, drive a nice car and live in a nice home. If you create a feeling of self that's capable and worthy, you'll attract what you want. You can take care of yourself as well as others.

The Law of Attraction stresses on gratitude, to appreciate the things you already have in your life. To focus on the positive thoughts and discard the negativity in life.

There are many people that see the Law of Attraction as a deeply religious experience. Connecting them to others and to a higher power.

The numbers are just as large that consider the Law of Attraction spiritual but not religious. Religious or just spiritual, the results are the same: To change our way of life for the better through the change of our thinking.

Even if you consider the Law of Attraction as neither religious nor spiritual, the benefits are the same. You're still using thought energy to get the things you want most out of life.

Discover The Absolute Scientific Truth of Mind Power. Visit us to get your excellent free report on Mind Power ! Or Read our expert advice at Subconscious Mind Power Blog!

To find ways to unlock your personal improvement power, check out Adam Khoo's Success With NLP. For more information please visit www.NLPSuccess.org.

If you have had a faulty memory occasionally or even often, you're not alone. Many people do. Perhaps you have driven home from the store, only to remember something that you should've gotten but didn't. Or perhaps you've forgotten important dates, such as anniversaries or birthdays.

It's at that point that you realise another year has gone by and you have totally fogotten your anniversary again. If you have had this experience before then it's time for you to look at making an improvement to your memory. By following a few easy training techniques it will be easy for you to make a dramatic improvement to your memory and never have to worry again about forgetting things.

There are several different categories for your memory. These include remembering dates and events, names and faces, factual information and lists. In each of these areas there are different techniques and tools that you can use for your memory improvement.

If you are a person that always is forgetting names, there are a variety of things you can do to help yourself remember. Many people use a common trick by associating some type of rhyme with the person's name. When you are first introduced to someone new, it is a great idea to make sure that you immediately repeat their name a couple times while you are speaking to that person. This helps you get it into your short term memory before you forget it altogether.

Of course you'll probably want to make sure you get it into your long term memory as well, which is where the rhyme comes in. If the person's name is Nate, think about Nate the great, and each time you see that person, make sure that you repeat the little rhyme again to yourself. The more you do this, the more you'll be able to lock it right into your long term memory so you won't forget it. So, this is one great way to help you out with memory improvement.

You can also use the rhyme you choose to associate that person's name (or the rhyme itself) with that person's appearance. For example, if Tony has a long mane of hair, this means that he can be associated with a "pony" in that way. This will help you recognize the person you meet in the future so that you know his or her name on the spot.

Another common technique for the improvement of your memory when it comes to lists is to make a word a saying/sentence or just remember the first letters of the list. By doing this it will help to jog your memory to exactly what was on the list. For example if you had to go to the shop and remember 5 items you could do it like follows.

Lollipops Bread Chocolate Apples Ketchup

Have a look at your list and in this case we can re-arrange it to be.

B read
L ollies
A pples
C hocolate
K etchup

Now you can see that the first letters in the list spell the word, "Black." All you have to remember when you go shopping is the word "Black," and you'll be able to easily remember the things that are on your list, since they start with the letters of this word.

This is a relatively easy way to improve your memory, and that and the other techniques we've discussed will help give you a good memory in almost no time. All it takes is a little practice.

Find the best memory improvement course quickly, at Memory Mastery Method!will help give you a good memory in almost no time. All it takes is a little practice

Self Improvement - Is It Necessary?

What does the word 'Self Improvement' mean to you? Does it mean you are not good enough and you need to work on? Or does it mean you have a lot more potentials in you that are yet to be unlocked?

Either way you are thinking, it is good for you. So when do people seek to improve themselves?

People seek to improve themselves when they see the need for it. Let's say a person knows that he is weak in the area of communication and wonder how he can improve and talk like a winner. What he can do is to pay a visit to a bookstore and look for books that teach effective communication.

This is very common.

Likewise, when you know you want to be rich and successful in things that you do but you just do not have a clue of how to make it happen, then you, too can pay a visit to a bookstore and look for the books or even audios that will help you in the area you are weak at.

Often, people who seek to improve themselves are the ones that attract most of the good things in life. They realize they have flaws and need a lot more help to work on themselves.

Some people do not even see the need to improve themselves and say things like, "I'm born like that", "The day you met me, I have been like that", "I am wired like that and nothing can change me", or worse still, "If you don't like the way I am, too bad!".

Have you seen people like that? Have you heard people say that? Are you like that?

Not only that, some people see the need of changes but they find it really difficult to change. This is simply because they are too comfortable with where they already are.

Employees who have been working in the company for more than 10 years will often have difficulty to change when the company's management is going through some changes also. Likewise, when a wife hopes that her husband to change, they just don't change!

You need to understand this. Change is not a negative word. It may stretch you and make you feel very umcomfortable when it comes to a change, however, the transition will only last for a very short period of time. Without knowing it, you have already gotten used of new way of doing things.

There is a saying that goes like this - The only thing never changes is change.

Change is made for a better tomorrow. Change is made to be more effective in doing things and to improve the ways we do things.

When a person wonders why he is not getting near to where he wants to go, it is not that he needs to work a lot harder. It is the matter of changing the ways of doing things or he will continue to get the same kind of results.

So friends, change and you will unlock your self improvement power!

To find ways to unlock your personal improvement power, check out Adam Khoo's Success With NLP. For more information please visit www.NLPSuccess.org.

Law of Attraction: When One Door Closes

When you are faced with a challenge in your life and it feels as if doors are closing right and left, what do you do? Do you just accept the fact that things seem to be falling apart or do you rise to the occasion and keep moving forward? In the Law of Attraction, if you keep the focus on what you want, and a door closes, then this just means that many more doors will open that are just right for you.

Don't look at a 'closed door' as the end of an opportunity. See the 'closed door' as if you are definitely being told which path not to take and be looking for the many doors that will soon open for you. If you are focusing on what you want with positive expectations and a door closes, then without a doubt be looking for the other paths that will be wide open. The Universe knows what is behind the closed door and it obviously wasn't what would have worked for you. The Universe also knows what is behind every open door that is offered to you and it knows that these opportunities are the ones that you will want to pursue.

Trust in the Universe when something doesn't go 'just right'. The Universe has many ways to bring to you what you focus on through the Law of Attraction. When you tell it which door you have to go through it can take a much longer time for something to manifest because of the limited path you have placed on the desire. Seeing only the end result of what you want and then giving it to the Universe to take care of the 'how' will bring you your desire so much faster and possibly in a way that you had never even thought of.

Get into the habit of thinking positively and when something just doesn't work out realize that the Universe is helping to bring you what you have focused on. The Universe has cleared a particular path and knows the one that isn't the way to go. And when one door closes, another door always opens. Get into the mindset of remaining positive even during seemingly hard times. Those positive thoughts will emit out and come back to you in the form of exactly what you have focused on, or better.

Be open to the way things come to you and when that door closes, smile and realize that the Universe has something much bigger and better in mind to bring to you, as always, through the Law of Attraction.

Beth and Lee McCain are instructors and lecturers in applying the Law of Attraction to your life to attain whatever you desire. They have a great radio show on Youtube that is both entertaining as well as informative on the subject of the Law of Attraction. For more information about Beth and Lee products and services, please visit: Beth and Lee McCain Law of Attraction Web Site

Your Inner Compass

We each have an inner compass guiding us to fulfill our purpose. We all have an inner knowing that is providing the impetus for us to develop ourselves. We are all evolving, all growing more conscious through all our life experiences; all part of a critical mass of awareness that is awakening within the collective consciousness of humanity. We are each being guided to realize our full potential by realizing our Self. Self-realization is the culmination of humanity’s potential, it is the underlying desire within all humans; it is our instinct to evolve. Enlightenment is innate. Your true Self is already realized. You couldn’t be anything other than that which you already are. It is time for your full self-realization.

Reflecting on your own nature helps your mind align with the part of you that already knows. Having the presence of mind to check your compass brings your mind in alignment with the spirit that’s calling you to wake up from the dream, to remember who you are and why you were born so you can fulfill the purpose of your existence. The energy the guides you to be reading and reflecting on these words is your spirit. Your spirit is guiding your mind as you are reading these words as evidenced by the fact that you are reading them. It’s bringing your mind into focus on the feeling that is your spirit reaching out to your mind. Shaktipat meditation is tuning to that feeling.

When you put your attention on the place between the eyebrows, as we teach, energy flows to this area and several incredible things happen: Your pituitary gland is stimulated, and working in conjunction with your pineal gland, they regulate heart rate, metabolism, respiration and other biological functions, bringing about a more peaceful state. This endocrine response further facilitates the lowering of your brain wave activity; guiding you down from Beta (14-40 cps) to Alpha (7-13 cps) then Theta (4-6 cps) and eventually Delta (0-3 cps). From within this inner quiet greater clarity, insight, happiness and peace develop. This meditation also draws the energy from your nervous system up to the uppermost regions of your brain; the “crown” in the frontal and temporal lobes of your neo-cortex. Herein lies our sixth sense, and by developing this sense your own nature is reflected back to your mind and your mind realizes the true nature of your Self.

When you meditate on your 3rd Eye, you plug into the very life force current that you are; your mind is simply connecting with your spirit, consciously. Each time you meditate on your 3rd eye, you align with the energy guiding you; spirit guides you like a compass needle pointing the way. Picture me reaching out to you in the screen of your mind, connect like a radio tuning into a broadcast, and my spirit will join with yours and we can move into this state of consciousness together. Like Saint Peter awaiting you at the pearly gates, I am reaching out to you in spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven that lies within. I will meet you here.

From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization.

Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Your Mind Power Is The Product Of Your Goal-Seekin

Any information that enters the domain of your goal-seeking, goal achieving mind that it recognizes as a goal, it is not going to question. It is simply going to materialize it for you. Here is my take on how failure enters the picture. If you think you are giving your goal-seeking, goal-achieving mind one goal to achieve, but you do not get this goal past your self image and into your goal-seeking, goal-achieving mind, it is going to materialize something from the pre-set conditions or from another input source. You hope for one thing but receive something else in your experience, probably the very opposite of what you want. You think that you have somehow failed in your attempt to reach a goal you hoped to reach. Repeat this scenario a few times and it is easy to see why you would allow yourself to grab onto the extremely detrimental but much popularized word failure. Your goal-seeking, goal-achieving mind is never going to take a goal of increased prosperity you have allowed into it and materialize more lack and limitation in your experience. That would be like asking corn seeds to produce tomatoes or asking peanut seeds to bring forth bananas! Whatever is allowed into it, it simply accepts as directions from you that this is what you are telling it to materialize. Through unknown universal processes, it delivers it into your life. Your part in this creative process is so very simple and at the same time, apparently very difficult. You are the director. It is up to you to give directions to your goal-seeking, goal-achieving mind as to what you want it to achieve for you! It is that simple. If you do not, someone else will. There are some impediments to this simple operation, however, that we should explore. The first of these blocks (stepping stones) is a lack of rudimentary knowledge of how the mind works. The second impediment is a lack of an easy to use technique to definitively place your directions into the goal-seeking, goal achieving area of your mind. The third barrier is a lack of understanding how your self image (ego, personality, map of reality, etc.) is formed and the tremendous amount of control it takes unto itself in cahoots with the conscious mind. The fourth is a lack of easy to use techniques to break the stranglehold of your self image (ego, personality, map of reality, etc.) and claim or re-claim control of your mind. Here is something I know for sure. You can claim or re-claim control of your own mind power. You are the most miraculous of all living beings on earth. You are the owner of a mind that is so stupendous, that as you truly begin mastering your mind power and consciously using it, there is no dream that you can dream that you cannot achieve.

www.ezine-writer.com.au

7 Easy Tips On How To Relieve Stress Today

There are so many tools that show you how to relieve stress and it is no wonder. The world is full of stressful people. We are so busy being busy we have little time for anything else.

We are the result of a world gone crazy. Think about it. We run around like crazy all day just so we don't have enough time. Chasing after money and successful careers while dealing with family concerns is the reason for our stressful lifestyles.

The symptoms of stress can be fatal leading to disease, chronics illness, hypertension and even heart attack. Generally people don't even realize the daily stress they are being put under. Your body has an amazing ability to help you deal with a sudden stressful situation when you may need to protect yourself. We were not however supposed deal with stress all the time.

So how does one relieve stress and avoid the effects of it on the body? In a minute you will get to read the 5 steps to easy stress relief but before that there are 2 things you should consider first.

The first thing is to get off adrenaline. One of the best tips on how to relieve stress is to plan better. Life is always going to throw you a curve ball you don't expect but this should not be happening to you all of the time. A little planning can be the best thing you can do to keep your stress levels down. Your health and life could be at stake.

The second thing is to drink less caffeine and if you are a smoker to cut back, or better yet, quit smoking. Nicotine and caffeine can cause harmful stress to the body. Where possible try to avoid them.

Let's go through the 5 tips you can use to keep your body and mind stress free.

1. Regular exercise

No matter what your definition of exercise is. You could go out for a jog or a brisk walk in the park or go to the gym and exercise there. Relaxing while you exercise is what is important as well as exercising on a regular basis. There is no point in exercising if you hate every minute while you are doing it.

2. Relaxation and meditation

I know it sounds easy to say just relax or chill out but most people don't know how to. There is no need to know how to meditate or anything like that, you should just be able to get some time by yourself without being disturbed.

3. Go out and spoil yourself

This isn't an invitation to go out and shop. It does mean doing something for yourself. You could just take the time to be by yourself without any interruptions or you could go treat yourself to a massage or a good book.

4. Video and board games

Games can be a great way to relieve stress. Put some thought into who you invite to play with to make sure you avoid the game becoming to intense and stressful. There are some great free software games you can download off the internet that are great to help relieve stress.

5. Sleep it off

Get enough proper rest. You can place tremendous stress on your body when sleeping patterns are interrupted. To rest properly your mind needs to be at rest. It may sound impossible but you can stop yourself from reacting to the thoughts that cause you to stress.

The best thing to do is to get started on just one of these ideas and then move on to the next when you feel you are ready. It is important to relax no matter what you do. Don't wait start today.

Want to learn more on how to relieve stress? For a light hearted way of dealing with your stress right now why not also visit instant stress relief tips.

The Secret" and the Science of Getting Rich

Have you heard of the DVD called "the Secret"? Well it isn't such a secret anymore. The DVD was released in March 2006 and according to Time Magazine, the DVD has sold 500,000 units within the first 6 months. Today it sells well over 5,000 copies a day! It ranked in Amazon's Top-5 sellers during Christmas week; and a tie-in hardcover book just entered the Top 10 on the New York times bestseller list. The amazing thing about "the Secret" is that you won't find it in your local Blockbuster or Barnes and Noble, it is selling briskly through new-age bookstores, New Thought churches like Unity and AGape and the official website at www.thesecret.tv. "It's become the biggest selling item in the 30-year history of our store," says Harmony Rose Allor, a buyer at West Hollywood's popular metaphysical bookshop, The Bodhi Tree. it is "word-of-mouth" marketing at it best. So what is the secret to "the Secret's" success? It's is a "transformational movie", where a person's view on life and the laws of life will no longer be the same after watching this movie. In a sense, it has created the same kind of effect as "the Da Vinci Code" and the 2004 hit cult movie "What the Bleep Do We Know". The movie has created such waves that it has already been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live and the Ellen DeGeneres show. At the core of the movie is a central philosophy called "the Law of Attraction". In fact, the movie itself was inspired by this very same law when the producer read a book called "the Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace D. Wattles. This books was written in 1910! This philosophy states that we create our reality, both good and bad! The message is delivered through 24 "teachers" which include prosperity preachers, chiropractic healers, relationship gurus, life coaches and motivational speakers — into one clear, cohesive voice. The movie is a "must watch" for anyone interested in taking charge of their life and in creating the life of their dreams. Following on the success of the Secret, 3 of the core teachers - namely Bob Proctor and Jack Canfield have collaborated to produce a wealth building program called "the Secret Science of Getting Rich Seminar". This program is based on the book that inspired the movie and is set to make history as the fastest selling personal development program in history. What is the Science of Getting Rich about? Well in the words of Wallace D. Wattles, "The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way. Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich. Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor. It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects. Therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich." The Science of Getting Rich is all about teaching how to do things in this "certain" way to create wealth. The success of this program is built on several rock solid foundations. These factors include: the phenomenal success of "the Secret", the timeless concepts from the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles, the credibility of successful personal improvement teachers and New Thought leaders of our time, and the Internet as the distribution medium. Click here to learn more about the Secret of Getting Rich Seminar and it's Affiliate program. http://www.successfullife.thesgrprogram.com

Your Beautiful Mind

What if you could think whatever you want whenever you want? What if you felt joy, love and peace all the time, or even just most of the time? Can you think of some old feeling that you would rather not be carrying around, or a behavior that just doesn’t serve you anymore and you would like to let it go? Now is the time. Your mind thinks as it was trained to. Over the years you have downloaded from your senses various thoughts, feelings, opinions and beliefs that rule over your life. Some of them may be quite helpful to you while others may be keeping you from realizing your full potential, or just being happy and prosperous.

You can consciously decide how you want your brain to work, and if there is something in your mind you no longer want to think you can now change it. Your own mind may not believe this, and may even fear the idea, but if you would like to change what goes on in your mind and body the first step is in realizing that you can…absolutely. The second step in this process is in realizing what your thoughts and feelings are and how they are affecting your life. What thoughts serve you and which ones don’t? The next step is to consciously decide in what ways you want to think and which ways you don’t. The clearer your mind is as to what you want it to think, the easier it is for your mind to think it.

Once you have gained clarity as to what you want your mind to think it is simply a matter of programming your mind to think that way. This is where I can help you. Just like learning a language, as you repeat ideas and feelings they become ingrained into the neuro-physiology of your brain and become adopted into your own personality and behavior. Thought-forms can be created in your mind and firmly established so your mind becomes the perfect servant to your own consciousness. Where there was negative you create positive, where there is fear you create courage and strength, where there is discord you create harmony.

Look how enslaved most people are to their mental and emotional conditioning. There is absolutely no reason to stay in a contracted mental or emotional state, you can start shifting and reprogramming your mind once you decide to. This choice is the power that makes it happen. Your spirit is guiding you to make those choices, just as it guided you to be reading these words. I will be conducting a series of three one hour teleconferences this month called The Enlightened Mind Series (www.selfawareness.com/YourEnlightenedMindCDSet.html). During these teleconferences I will guide you into deep states to access your subconscious and provide you a series of templates for your mind to consider and adopt if you choose. Emotionally, physically and mentally let us create those thoughts and feelings that bring greater prosperity, happiness and peace into your life and to those in your life. Why settle for anything else?

From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

"Who decides what state you're going to be in?"

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization.

Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Blueprint for Success: Defining Your Goals

Goal means what your aim to reach in the future. In your life establishing goals has a positive impact. A goal is a specific, assessable result that you want to generate at a determinable time in the future. But if what you hope to achieve in life is based on your expectations, rather than on working to reach established goals. Your goals are the stepping-stones toward the understanding of your dreams, the second key element in the blueprint of your life.

Goals are experiences you have not yet had, places you have not yet been, people you have not met, a level of income you have not achieved, a type of relationship you are not now enjoying, or having something you don't currently own. Like your dreams, there is no limit to the number of goals you can set other than the limits of your imagination. And although Goals represent what you intend to achieve in the future, they are always set and worked on in the present.

In university business school graduates who had been out of school for ten years was conducted to determine how they were succeeding toward their goals. Amazingly, 83 percent of the graduates had set no goals at all. This 83 percent reported that they were working hard and staying busy but had no specific future plans. Another 14 percent had goals, but their goals were mental, not written. However, this 14 percent was earning on the average three times the income of those who had no goals at all. Only 3 percent of the entire graduate group had written goals. That 3 percent was earning a whopping ten times what those with no goals were earning.

Particularly goals are written very clearly. Written goals made a dramatic difference in their income levels. Make the difference in your goal is specific level of achievement. Among the business school graduates in the study, the short time they spent establishing.

Clear establish a goal has a positive impact on your life. But if what you hope to achieve in life is based on your expectations, rather than on working to reach established goals, you are setting yourself up for the possibility of disappointment. Expectations have to do with how you believe other people should behave, and how the world should bend at your command.

Your expectations may result in a large amount of grief, whereas established goals will result in a large amount of satisfaction and success. When develop your goal is clear than the winning choice is clear, drop your expectations. It is a mistake to expect that you will accomplish any goal because you deserve it or because there is something in your past that entitles you to it. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as "deserve." You end up achieving in life because of planning and control, not because you have "paid your dues".

3 Steps to Developing Passion & Taking Action

Passion for anything occurs at the moment you get a glimpse of the potential for the project, yourself, your mission, and so on. How do you develop passion? The following steps take a look at how you develop passion:

1. Take steps toward your goals. As your plans unfold, each step that you take toward your goals has a direct bearing on your excitement, enthusiasm, and confidence. As you enjoy little successes, your imagination explodes, and passion enters the picture. And when passion is full-blown, it's unlikely that you will abandon your objectives.

2. Use your head to direct the passion that develops. Effective passion is a directed emotion that synergizes all your qualities to make a total you that is considerably greater than the sum of all those qualities. Some identify passion as "heart," because people with passion accomplish things that go beyond their physical and mental abilities.

3. Analyze what you want in life and come up with a plan for reaching those goals. Though passion can be brought on almost instantly by a life-changing event, it usually begins with a careful analysis of what you want in life. What is your direction? In short, what are your goals? After you clearly identify your goals, you develop a plan of action to reach those goals.

Summary:

You must see your goals clearly and especially before you can set out for them. One of the most necessary things you need to do for yourself is to choose a goal that is important to you. Here are some tips to help you set goals, which can get you success.

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of popular self help blog. Visit his blog for more information on Success, happiness, goal setting, Self help, self-improvement and personal growth. http://www.selfhelpzone.com/category/success-happiness/

Become What you Want to Attract

One of the hardest things for people to swallow when they think about improving their lives is that they are the cause for where their life is at this moment in time.

We tend to consider our lives as the culmination of years and years worth of thoughts, emotions, and experiences, which is true. However, when looking back on our lives in those terms, we normally miss the fact that we were responsible for every single one of the moments in our life, up to and including this very moment.

It may seem like there have been people, circumstances, and events in our lives that were out of our control, but that is simply not the case. When you embrace the truth about the Law of Attraction, you must embrace the ENTIRE truth. The entire truth is that we attract all things into our lives – the good, as well as the bad.

Each person will have their own version of how this concept has manifested in their lives, but here are 3 common examples to illustrate the point.

Relationships

This is probably the most common area where people attract exactly what they are looking for, but they are also very often blind to the fact that they have done so.

It is hard to swallow if you are in an abusive relationship that you somehow wanted to be in that relationship. It is difficult to believe that if your significant other was unfaithful that you somehow played a part in making that happen. It is hard to grasp the fact that you can’t find “the right person” because on some level you either don’t really want to, or – most commonly – you don’t really even know who that person would be.

Career

Most people are either participating in a career that they don’t enjoy, or they are not getting everything that they want out of their career. It could be a matter of not liking your job, not making enough money, or simply not enjoying your co-workers. Whatever your individual issue is with your career, the fact of the matter is that on some level you are holding onto that situation. You are attracting the very things that you don’t want out of your professional life.

Health

This issue is so far out in the open for all to see, yet people routinely walk right past it without realizing the truth.

If you are unhealthy or overweight, it is because you somehow believe that you are SUPPOSED to be unhealthy or overweight. On an energetic level you are sending out the vibration that you are sick, or that you weigh too much, or that you are weak. It may be because you believe that you don’t deserve to live a long and healthy life. It may be that your self-esteem isn’t where it should be – even if you think on the surface that it is, which is often the case.

Each of these instances – relationships, career, and health - have their own solutions as far as how to stop attracting what you don’t want. However, the bottom line is that you have to first realize that you ARE attracting what you don’t want, and that is a hard pill to swallow.

Do some soul-searching about the things in your life that are not where you want them to be, and ask yourself some hard questions, while demanding some 100% honest answers:

Do you believe that – despite your bravado – that you might not be worthy of the “perfect mate”?

Do you think that even though you have a great work ethic, that you really aren’t smart or talented enough to have a high paying job, or to have the job of your dreams?

Do you honestly believe that you resonate a presence of perfect health, vitality, confidence, and self-esteem?

These questions are just examples, and you should give some thought to similar situations in your own life. Ask yourself if you are attracting the life that you desire, or if you are thinking one thing, but feeling something else entirely.

The bottom line truth of the matter is that we attract our entire lives, even the things about our lives that we do not like. If you want to stop attracting certain things into your life, then you need to Become what you want to Attract.

If you want a long-term, successful relationship full of compassion, love, and kindness, then find ways to express those same emotions to others – even to people who you have no interest in developing a relationship with.

If you desire a high-paying “dream job” then start acting like an employee who deserves that type of job. Don’t just become a good worker – become a good thinker and a good dreamer.

If your life is lacking in the health and fitness arena, then start exercising and eating right, and start thinking positive, grateful, and caring thoughts every single day. Your body and your mind will transform automatically as a result.

Stop complaining about what your life is NOT. Become the person who deserves and resonates with the kind of life that you desire, and that life will be presented to you.

Guaranteed.

Aaron Potts offers free self empowerment teachings at [http://www.todayisthatday.com] (link: http://www.todayisthatday.com/blog/)

How To Get Rid Of Panic And Anxiety Through Self-Help

In our lives, we all want peace and happiness. We hope for a happy and pleasant environment around us all the time. However, to have all this we must be living in an ultimate world. However, we all know that our world is not ideal and tensions, panicky situations and anxieties arise every now and then.

However, we should not be afraid of them and whenever these situations arise we must be armed to deal with them in the most efficient manner possible. For this, we must first be able to examine our emotions and accept them as they are. Understanding the emotions can help you to learn to control the emotions without allowing the devastating feelings and emotions take control. As the last step, we must try to transform all such negative emotions like anxiety and panic into encouraging ones. Anxiety has often been connected with worry and both are understood as the same emotion. Nevertheless, this is not true because although both are forms of fear but anxiety is related more to time and resources constraints whereas worry is a result of an anxiety that something we plan will not work out well.

Anxiety occurs because sometimes we need to complete a tight-string project and we fall in a rush. The project is of greatest importance and because of shortage of time or any other contributing factor you will not be able to terminate it to perfection or on time.

Often worry also results from the same reasons. Nevertheless, the major difference here that we must recognize is that it may not just be a result of lack of resources but may be also due to some problem with your child or spouse or any other personal issue. Worries are a result of our personal attachments with certain beings or things.

Since childhood, all these feelings are absorbed by our mind. We see the way people react to certain situations and emulate them. While some people behave in appositive manner to situations other don’t. Whichever affects us more determines how we behave to those situations.

To throw away all these anxieties and worries one must follow a proper system and diet. In helping you to reduce anxiety and panic situations, the below mentioned points will go a long way.

1. Regular exercises like an early morning walk, jog, or aerobics. 2. Try yoga. It helps in getting better your blood flow and reduces hyperventilation. 3. Whenever a panic situation arises, try to concentrate with deep breathing. 4. Try meditation as a solution searching method. 5. Follow a healthy low fat and high vitamin diet.

Following the aforementioned routine and steps will help you in freeing yourself from negative thoughts and emotions and creating a positive atmosphere around you. Try these positive countermeasures to anxiety whenever it strikes.

1. We must accept that whatever is happening to us has no purpose to harm us. We must give whatever we do, our best shot but it is useless to worry about the results. Once you have given it, your best shot there is no reason why you should fail, so why panic. 2. We must have self-belief in ourselves. We must tell ourselves that nothing is impossible unto us and that we can face all the problems of life without giving up on them. 3. We should never think low about ourselves. Like everyone else, we are all humans and have equal rights to life. We should never worry about what others think about us because at the end of the day you are your best judge. 4. You must be reminiscent yourself at all times that life is meant for being lived every moment and not for worrying every moment what the next will bring about.

Summary:

Understanding the emotions can help you to learn to control the emotions without allowing the devastating feelings and emotions take control. To throw away all these anxieties and worries one must follow a proper system and diet. Here are some points that will help you reduce anxiety and panic situations.

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of popular Self Help Blog. For more information on anxiety, panic and how to get rid of anxiety & panic situations visit: http://www.selfhelpzone.com/category/anxiety-panic/

How to Concentrate in 4 Magic Steps

Learn how to stay focused through the turmoil of life by following a few tips that teach you how to concentrate on your goal.

One of the main problems that deter a person's success is their lack of concentration. Lapses encourage disturbances to get in the way and stall progress. If ones wishes to proceed on their road to success, it is imperative they learn how to concentrate. Here, we show you some easy to learn exercises that are easy to implement.

1) Silence or Noise: Most people cannot concentrate when it is too noisy, but others work better with music or others in the midst of a crowded room. If you are not aware as yet what best suits you, then try out the different environments. How? Take a notepad and a pencil or pen with you and try and write down a letter in all the three circumstances in a set amount of time. Ten minutes. That is all you will need to determine where your source of concentration lies. How? Check not only for length but also for development as that is more important.

2) Focal Point: Every morning, before you leave for work or on the way, stare at any object for ten minutes. You can do this while in the toilet, car or bus. You will find this difficult, but whatever happens, do not move your gaze away. Hold it. Wait. And then, as the minutes pass you will find yourself deeply meditating about things that happened to you yesterday or challenges you have to face in a few minutes. Congratulations. You have just conquered the art of meditation.

3) Deep Breathing: In the beginning, you can do this while staring at the object from tip number two, but if you wish to move towards real concentration, do this separetly. Sit down on the floor. If its hard, place a cushion. Close your eyes. Breathe. Count the number of inhales. When you have reached 100, start counting backwards but this time count the exhales. Mastering this will take you a while, but once you do move on to other kinds of mathemathical calculations such as naming the months of the year from December backwards or alphabetically. After that, make up exercises as you like.

4) Movement: Focus on an animal: cat, dog or even ant or bird. Follow their every movement as if they exist in a vaccumm. Study every tiny spot on their body. The point of this is to learn how to diversify your concentration in such a way that movement does not deter you from your goal.

Conclusion: Practice the above four tips and like magic, you will start enjoying life to its fullest because you will be able to focus on the things you want to focus on and disregard those that disrupt. Practive the above tips daily and you will be that much more closer to achieving your dreams and goals. Best of Luck!

Though Sharmila Pundit is better known for her articles on [online casinos] (link: http://www.gambling-portal.com) and such activites, Sharmila is also a freak of meditation and has travelled to India many times. She practices the above tips whenever she gets the time.

Success Secrets of the Simple Minded

Whether we like to admit it or not, most of us have a common misconception that people who are truly successful in life have some sort of gift or skill, or that they were given some kind of incredible break or opportunity during their life that allowed them to achieve their incredible success.

The simple truth of the matter is that all people – no matter who they are, where they are from, or what their history is – have the ability to achieve massive success in life, and to maintain that level of success for as long as they desire to have it.

However, given the false misconception that the rich and famous and the “beautiful” people in the world have some “trick” to their success keeps the everyday person from even trying to achieve lofty levels of health, prosperity, and happiness.

The secret to true and lasting success is that we simply need to get out of our own way and permanently bury the self-limiting beliefs that have been keeping us from our dreams for all of these years!

Success Secret #1

Every single person who ever achieved or maintained success in this world first had a clear picture in their mind of what that success looked like. How much success do you think you will have if your statement of action looks like any of these?

I am going to be the best BLANK in the history of mankind! My body is going to BLANK like no one else’s ever has! I am going to build the most powerful company ever, and we are going to sell BLANK. My ideal husband/wife is going to make me so happy because he/she will BLANK.

Do you see the point here? Even having an idea of what area of your life that you want to achieve success in – health, wealth, relationships, career, etc. – is simply not enough to get the gears turning in your life that will make it happen.

You have to know exactly what you want to do in your MIND before it can ever manifest and become a part of your actual existence. Do you think that the people who build skyscrapers say “Let’s just throw a bunch of concrete and steel together and see how high we can make it”?

No, they envision a beautiful tower of architectural superiority in their mind, and then they start working out a plan of how to make it happen. Although your goals may not be as far-reaching as a 100-story building downtown, the process begins in exactly the same place – in your mind.

Success Secret #2

You must BELIEVE that you can accomplish your goal! You would think that something as simple as that would go without saying, but the sad truth of the matter is that most people are brought up to believe that they are limited by what is realistically possible.

In fact, the more time you spend learning about the state of affairs in the world at large, as well as in your own neighborhood, the more you will become conditioned to believe that you can only accomplish certain things because “that’s just the way it is”.

Nothing could be further from the truth! As a wonderful and glorious human being, the only true skill that you have to have to succeed is a burning desire to accomplish whatever it is that you want to accomplish!

History is replete with examples of wildly successful people who attained their success not via expensive college educations or unlimited financial resources, but rather because they simply refused to give up until they had found or created a way to achieve their dreams.

Success Secret #3

No one who ever achieved any lasting success ever did so by sitting at home studying the long lost secrets of other successful people.

It doesn’t matter if you are talking about following the path of wealthy business men and women, tracking the health practices of people with picture-perfect bodies, or just cracking the code of someone who has mastered gloriously fulfilling relationships. Your ability to memorize their master plans will do you absolutely no good whatsoever if you do not get up and take action on what you have learned.

Does that mean that you need to plan to dedicate 18-hour work days to building the next business empire, spend countless hours at the gym, or practice every relationship-saving technique that you read about? Of course not.

However, if you want to achieve success in any endeavor in your life, you will have to put a powerful plan of action in place in order to make it happen, and stick to that plan over the long-term, rather than just the short-term.

The Secrets to Success of the Simple Minded are 3 very ordinary concepts that every single person ever born has the ability to bring to bear:

Know what you Want - Believe that you can have It – Take consistent action to attain It

Everything else on the path to goal attainment and success are merely logistical details.

Aaron Potts is the founder of the Today is that Day Success Community, and the author of products that teach about [http://www.todayisthatday.com] (link: http://www.todayisthatday.com) to learn about his Success Community, his products, or his free Self Empowerment newsletter

Mother loses child to drowning accident

The memory of losing a child can never be forgotten. A mothers joy is giving birth to her child and the expectation is that the child will outlive her. This is not always what happens and in my case, I came from work one day to get the dreaded news that my two-year-old son had drowned in a lake nearby.

It was too late for me to do anything for my son. I felt so helpless. The babysitter had neglected to care appropriately for my son and my regret at the time was hiring her. I felt guilty for putting my son in the care of someone who dropped the ball. Mother loses child to drowning accident sounds like a headline seen in a newspaper that I would read about someone else. This could not be happening to me, I thought. There were no warnings or preparation for such a tragedy. How do you handle it when you have to face such grief?

This took place twenty-one years ago, but it is still very fresh in my mind today. I replayed the incident over and over to see if there was anything I could have done differently to save my son. However, over the years, I have come to a realization that there was nothing I could have done for him at that time, but today I have decided to do something for him and share my story to keep his memory alive and to help another mother who may be facing the death of a child.

Let me reassure you that losing a child to death is a finality that takes the breath out of you. In other words, the grief is so overwhelming, that it literally causes you to feel as if your life has frozen. You will need more support than usual and a way to vent your pain. Your tears are not enough to erase the pain but crying is your firsts defense and I would recommend a lot of crying in the initial stages. It helps you to accept your loss. Denial can be devastating and will eventually lead to depression, so if you can grasp your reality and begin the grieving process, it will speed up your healing over time.

Shock is common for most grieving mothers as it was for me. You wont be able to identify with your loss initially. Your first reaction is shock and then you go through the denial stage, guilt stage and it is during the acceptance stage that your grieving really begins. My healing started when I accepted the certainty of my truth and wanted to talk about it. I told everyone I could about my tragedy and this really helped me to work out my pain by keeping the memory of my son alive. I spoke about the good times I spent with him and tried not to focus only on his death.

I celebrated his short two years and eight months of living with me. People feel more comfortable listening to good memories rather than bad memories. Therefore, I was able to reach more people to tell them that I was on a healing path and asked if they would allow me to continue my healing by lending a listening ear.

I decided that in order to reach more people, I would have to write about the memory of my son and so I wrote a book entitled, Coping with grief. I am giving back some of the proceeds of the book to the Rowan Foundation, a support group for those who are grieving because of the loss of a loved one. Doing all this has brought complete healing for me and I know my son would be proud to know that he is being remembered in such a positive way. I encourage you to keep your loved ones memories alive by making a difference in someone elses life and your healing will occur sooner than you could imagine.

Cheryline Lawson is the mother who has been on an emotional journey of losing her only child and has written a book titled, Coping with Grief, and is giving proceeds of the book back to a support group that is helping grieving families. Find out more about how you can help by visiting her website at => http://www.coping-with-grief.com

The 80/20 Rule

There is a proven statistic that can be applied to direct our activity towards the results that we desire. The statistical formula looks like this: 80% of our success comes from 20% of our activities. That means that 80% of our efforts contributes to only 20% of our success. When analyzing people who are struggling, it is quickly realized that they tend to focus on those activities that seem to generate the lowest results. Their day is consumed with the attending to those tasks which have little effect on the overall picture.

On the other hand, the successful determine and concentrate on the tasks which will pay the greatest dividends. It is these activities that are scheduled first into their day. Although they are not always the easiest, they are the ones begun immediately. It takes discipline to avoid the tendency to focus upon the less intensive ones. However, the rewards come in the value of each accomplishment.

This formula is statistically true in any situation. In sales, 80% of the profit comes from the top 20% of the customer base. By the same token, 20% of a salesperson's activity is responsible for 80% of their success. This activity is comprised of prospecting, demonstrating the product, questioning a prospect, and getting an agreement. Tasks such as filling out call sheets, sales meetings, and interaction with the corporate office have far less impact on the overall performance. For this reason, sales trainers teach doing the other activities before all else.

Let's use marriage as an example. What do you think has a bigger impact on your spouse; mowing the lawn and taking out the trash or looking deeply into that person's eyes while expressing how much you love him/her? Naturally it depends upon the situation but most often, someone appreciates the loving attention given much more than the handling of tasks. When you really consider it, doesn't most of what one does in a relationship go unnoticed? However, do that one thing that is meaningful to the other person and you are in for a special evening.

To greatly increase the success in our lives, we must begin spending time on those activities that will have a dramatic impact. Time is a factor for everyone. There is not a person in this era who is not taxed for time. People are inundated with responsibility coming at them from all directions. Unfortunately, with so much demand upon us, it is impossible to get everything done. Therefore, the ability to prioritize is vital to having a successful life. Recognizing that certain activities carry a greater value in our overall happiness is the onset of a new life path.

Many people get involved with the low priority activities because they are in the mode of putting off the more important items. Most do not sit around idly doing nothing, The tendency is to procrastinate by doing other tasks. This allows for the justification for not doing that other items. Their response is usually something like, I couldn't get to it since I was busy doing __________ all day. The blank invariably is a low value action. Activities that have a greater impact upon our lives generally require more effort. They also seem to create a bit more fear within us. It is far easier to avoid these tasks altogether while focusing on the simpler ones.

Regardless of what area of life you choose to apply this formula, the fastest way to begin making changes is by focusing upon that which has the most effect. Decide what activities carry the greatest impact upon your situation and do them first. Be conscious of when you fall into the trap of doing busywork. It is fine to do this if time allows. However, act like the most successful by concentrating on what is of the most importance. Everything else seems to take care of itself when these items are handled.

Dennis Harting is the Head Coach at Your Rich Life. He is an acclaimed speaker, trainer, and author. His international best selling books include Your Easiest Million and The Ultimate Procrastination Handbook. His programs and more information can be found at http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com.

Your Success is Written In The Law?

Here are six laws that are keys to effective strategy which can unlock greater success for you. These are the silent laws that are fundamental to your success throughout all the years of your life . . . as they guide you upward and onward to higher achievements.

1. The laws of control. You must be in control in every situation and at every moment; in control of your own faculties as well as any external forces that would exert pressure on you. The fact is; either you are controlling the situation or the situation is controlling you. People are being bombarded constantly by influential forces that tug and pull on their senses. These forces influence their way of thinking and how they react to any process. How well a person is able to stay in control of external stimuli indicates how well they are able to manage their influence upon it. Remember, if God is with you, who can be against you? 2. The law of observance Always observe what is going on around you, pay attention, be aware of the possibilities. Take note of what is not happening as well as what is. Dont make rash judgments, weigh all possibilities before you act. While all action contains a certain amount of risk, you can reduce the odds by careful examination. Dont make hasty judgments, plot the course then and only then . . . proceed with caution.

3. The law of value. As a leader/manager, how valuable are you to your employer? If there were a lay-off today, would you be let go, or be kept on? Make sure you know your job plus a little more. Learn multiple jobs in your workplace well because, the more you know, the more value you have. Always do your best and volunteer once in a while.

4. The law of integrity Certain qualities of character are unique to a true Christian. A true Christian can be trusted for his/her word is as good as gold. You can take what he/she says to the bank because you know they can be trusted to back up all they say.

It seems trusted employees have become a rarity in todays workplace. From padding the time sheet to small pilferage, everyone seems to be out for themselves. People get the idea the company owes them over and beyond their agreed on wages. They justify their actions by their own distorted reasoning. When a person agrees to the terms of employment, then they must live with it. If the terms are not proven to be as agreed, then you must respectfully, terminate.

Integrity is the heart as it represents quality, honesty, high morals, truth, and trust. It is the only quality in a person that they have total control over, to voluntarily give up. No one can take it from you, you have to make a choice to damage your own integrity. Once you have given up your integrity, you can never get it back.

5. The law of Development Most everyone desires to be the best at what they do but few accomplish it. Why? Distractions, loss of drive, inability to focus, compliancy, and many other things undermine mans ability to achieve. Even though man is a creative being, born of excellence, he/she rapidly becomes victim to worldly conditions and points of view. I can is replaced with I cant, I will is replaced I wont and so on. The trials of life creates despair in the mind and clouds thinking. Man becomes embroiled in social and cultural dogma and the world becomes a battleground of uncertainties for the senses causing a distorted perception. The world point of view is a powerful influence on the mind and becomes captivating, addictive and self destructive.

The mind thinks it cant be any better than it already is, yet we know the laws of development can and does elevate a person from failure to success. Success is a God trait inherent in mankind while failure is embracing the inconsistencies of the world order. Man, in his own right, can be anything he desires to be. From Janitor to President, man is what he aspires to be, what he/she has a passion for. You must elevate yourself above the temptations of the world. Be diligent, forthright and mature in your thinking, and always remember, each thought can potentially effect your quality of existence.

6. The law of Adaptability Many people simply cant adapt to current conditions. When a person Requires supervision to perform basic abilities they rarely further their career. You must adapt to your surroundings. You have to fit in and become a Inspiration to those around you. Every situation in life requires you to adapt in some form or manner. Family, church, workplace, society, club all require you to adapt to the current conditions. I dont mean give in, or cave in, but consider the options and adjust to the presented opportunity. Fit in, take part in your surroundings, be an active team player.

Happy Trails

Donald Yates, Former Director of Business and Leadership Development for Imperial Research, is now retired but continues to assist young people in engaging life through self discovery, Life course planning, intuitiveness and fulfillment. Learn how you can build a powerful organization of your own. To learn more, visit [Make Money From Home] (link: http://www.clean4profit.com)

10 Things to Do Before I Die

Although I am now finishing up my seventh decade of a most exciting and fulfilling life, I am planning for the future, as I do every January. I take this exciting trip of the mind, soul, and body (in spite of two malignancies and a pair of knee prostheses) in the spirit of George Bernard Shaw who said: When I die, I want to be all used up.

My list looks like this, complete with some sort of rationale for each, and in parentheses my best guess for the probability of their successful completion: 1) Summit Mt. Aconcagua: I reached 21,600 ft. in 1996 and 21,700 ft. in 2002. Unfortunately, as the highest peak outside of Asia, the peak is at 22,800 ft (6,962 meters). My wife, Elaine, notes that if I get an additional 100 ft. every 6 years, I will summit at the age of 135! (5%)

2) Summit Mt. Cotopaxi: I have never been to Ecuador, which is reason enough to go, but at 19,347 ft. (5,897 meters) the summit might be attainable in spite of my maturity (age) and low testosterone (effects of therapy for prostate cancer). (35%)

3) Swim with the snow monkeys in Japan: This probably illegal, dangerous, and foolish, but every time I see their photos, as a Scorpio (life being focused on water, fire, and sexnot necessarily in that order) I am lured, at least re: the water part.(35%)

4) Take the Trans-Siberian Railway trip: Since I have been to Russia, climbed Mt. Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, at 18,510 ft. (5642 meters) the highest mountain in Europe, and have spent a month in China, it is time to link the two. (75%)

5) Write a NY Times #1 Bestseller: I have written five books, including Optimize Your Life! which is an international best-seller (the Chinese publishers edition was on the Book-of-the-Month Club). For motivation, I have pasted the book title and my name over the #1 slot of a copy of the NY Times best-seller list, and I visualize it every day as I brush my teeth. (wow! and priceless!)

6) Keynote fee of $10,000: One of my great mentors, the late Dottie Walters, said that I was a $10,000 keynote. Im working at it, Dottie! (50%)

7) Closer relationship with Elaine: After my near-death and rescue on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire I realized that the Elaine would have been the real victim, if I had died or become permanently disabled. (100%)

8) Enjoy my/our new sexuality: What age fails to do to undermine ones sexuality, anti-hormone therapy, radical surgery, chemotherapy, and external beam radiation will. However, as a result of trips to India and Nepal, we have learned (and mastered to some degree) Tantric sex, etc. Scorpio lives. All we need is the fire, which we have in a fire pit in our Zen garden. (100%)

9) Tune up my body/mind/soul: As I now struggle to complete my book, What Better Place to Die, based on my Mt. Washington misadventure, I am keeping a promise I made while I was on that mountain. (100%)

10) Finish the other five promises I made Mt. Washington: to be insensitive to negative criticism, to get rid of non-productive real estate, to make amends with some key people, and to better network with key people from my past write the book. (100%)

Thats my list. What is on your listand why?

Since childhood, my value system has been basically Judeo-Christian, although I have become quite eclectic over the years. As a Buddhist, should I stop striving? As a Hindu should I graciously enter the fourth phase of life and become a sannyasin, a wandering hermit, seeking only spiritual enlightenment? Psychologist Abraham Maslow in Hierarchy of Needs described the ultimate phase of ones life as self-actualization, that is, going beyond the basics of life and finding ones single calling and heeding it. Single calling how about ten?

In Worth Magazine in 1999, Edward Sussman wrote an article, 24 Things to Do before You Die which focused mostly on interviews with celebrities. Grand Dame, Brooke Astor advised one to be gracious to someone you despise. CNN economics guru Lou Dobbs suggested that you thank someone instrumental in your success, while author George Plimpton advised us all to go on a quest.

You may not be able to run away with the circus at this stage in your life, but you can sneak off for a window of time, time well chosen and spent, time that will expand your horizons, time in which to create powerful memories.

Enjoy the journey! Do it now!

Bernhoff A. Dahl, M.D., author, public speaker, keynote speaker, consultant, humorist and veteran mountaineer shares his near-death and rescue on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire in a positive, inspirational message focused on three admonitions: 1. Be prepared to die! 2. Have a plan to live! 3. Do it now! You are encouraged to join Dr. Dahl as he completes his book, What Better Place to Die, by visiting http://www.MtWashingtonMisadventure.com or http://www.TrionicsUSA.com Bernhoff A. Dahl, M.D. 9 Shore Lane Winterport, ME 04496 DrBDahl@aol.com Phone: 207-223-9998

Lead Yourself First

So, you want to be a leader? It's not as easy as it sounds but it is simple if you take the suggestions outlined here that I'm going to give you.

Many people believe that tenure at a job or in a position automatically qualifies them to be a leader. There are even some companies who practice that. I think that could be disastrous. On the other hand, if the candidate does an excellent job in the position and they have demonstrated leadership qualities, by all means they may be a good leader. But time in a position is not the only qualification.

What I've seen proven again and again in terms of sales and management is that the best salesperson does not necessarily make the best leader. I know some phenomenal sales people who would make terrible managers, and they've told me so! Sure they are skilled in the technical aspects of sales and are excellent at what they do, but that doesn't mean that they have what it takes to be a leader. Leadership is much more than knowing what to do on a job or how it works. I don't want to focus on that for this specific article because there's a very important step that comes before leading others that many experts don't talk about and that's leading yourself.

I'm going to tackle 3 areas of this subject that I think are crucial to your development and success. They are:

--Accepting responsibility for where you are in your life --Taking responsibility for where you are going --Gathering the help you need

--Accepting responsibility for where you are in your life This may be the toughest step for you in leading yourself but if you do it, I promise you that the rest of the journey will be easy. Here's where you look at your life and acknowledge where you are and why you are where you are. It's where you stand in front of the mirror and say hello to your biggest problem and the cause of all your life's anxiety and strife: You. Accepting responsibility for where you are brings you to the realization that you are in charge of your life and everything that has happened to you up to this point. It's where you realize it's either all your fault or an Act of God. By Act of God I mean a natural disaster or the death of a loved one. Those are about the only 2 things that you have no control over. And if I had more time with you I might be able to develop a good argument that we can control those as well.

You might be saying, "C'mon Rich. You know I lost my job because my boss didn't like me or because I wasn't able to reach my quotas. He gave all the good accounts away! Then the market tanked! That had nothing to do with me. He fired me because he hated me." Well, you'd better sit down before you read my response to that. Here it is: You can look at every "bad" situation in your life and run it over and over in your mind and, if you really try, you can find at least one thing (probably many things) that you could have done better. And it may have been that one thing that would have changed the outcome of that situation.

Going forward, I want you to pay close attention to every interaction you have with people. When you're through with your interaction I want you to make a mental note of what you would have liked to do better, say better or how you would have responded better. The key here is your response to the things that happen to you. You can "B and moan" or you can look at it constructively to gain some insight. The best leaders see how they can get value out of every situation they are faced with. As this becomes a habit, you'll find that your interactions will go much better.

--Taking responsibility for where you are going This second step is very easy once you accept responsibility for where you are. But you can't skip the first step. Taking the steps in order will give you clarity and will naturally progress you to the next step. Here's where you now know that everything that's happened to you up to this point is your fault and you commit to fixing or changing it. This is where you need to start dreaming. Dream about where you want to go and what you want to do. Spend time making a list of everything you want to be, do, have or change. Take the limits off and write down whatever you can think of - short term and long term. Then turn them into actual goals. A good goal setting program comes into play here too. You'll need to learn how to set, track and achieve your goals. Goals are like a compass on a map. They help you get from point A to point B. You already figured out point A in the first step we talked about, now it's time to discover point B by making your dream list and then turning that list into goals.

--Gathering the help you need Now that you've accepted the responsibility for where you are and have begun taking responsibility for where you're going, you'll need to gather some help to assist you in getting there. There are a couple of things you should begin to implement. First, you need a good personal development program that consists of positive, motivational material including books, CDs and seminars. Next, you should consider getting yourself a coach to help you. There are hundreds of types coaches that can help you in any area. You can get one that specifies in a particular area or you can get a life coach who is generally trained in all areas. You can also find a mentor - someone who's done what you are trying to do. There's no better way to get somewhere than following someone who's already done it.

These are not the only steps for you to take on your quest to lead yourself. But I think that they are the first 3 steps you should take. Remember, change takes time. Don't get frustrated if you're not seeing results quickly. One book, one CD or one seminar is not going to undo 30 or 40 years of programming. Learn to give yourself a break and be proud that you are on the road to change. I know you can do this and I definitely believe in you!

Rich Vosler is a Sales Success Coach who was a mortgage professional for 18 years in New York, New Jersey and Georgia. He is also a speaker and author. Rich can be reached at 609-790-8757 or by email at rvosler@verizon.net. His website, Sales Training & Motivation, is at www.RichVosler.com and is full of sales success tips as well as his brand new blog. He is also running a special on his brand new DVD, Secrets of Sales Power sold there. Call today for an initial session!

Quit Making Excuses and Use Your Imagination

One of my clients, Adam actually saved his own life this Monday when he put a halt to his thought processes and dreamed up something new. Imagine what is possible for you.

Collectively, society has stopped dreaming. We are only focused on our right now - what is in front of us - when we could be dreaming about radical shakeups to make things better.' We remember the challenge and forget the rush of amazing ourselves (and others).

Unless we have stimuli to change, the pace of our days causes you and I slip into old modes of thinking and behaving. This does not get us beyond where we were yesterday. Is that where you want to be? Here are some old patterns that we easily slip into, along with dream patterns to immediately shake things up:

"It's impossible to have time to exercise and eat right with my schedule." --STOP-- Dream: I can control your schedule. What small changes will create time to take care of 'me' first?

"Staff meetings are a waste of time as we rarely accomplish anything." --STOP-- Dream: We are dynamic, brilliant individuals who are not living up to our potential. How can we inspire one another to grow? What haven't we tried?

"I feel comfortable raising my sales quota by 8% every year." --STOP-- Dream: What if I were to raise it 33%, 50%, 120%? What if I focused on the dream? My due diligence will follow. If I begin solely with due diligence, my dream will not materialize.

"She never listens to me, so why even try?" --STOP-- Dream: Apparently, my approach hasn't worked in the past. I know I can get her attention. What are her motives? What truly intrigues her?

"Life used to be simple, predictable - now it's too complicated." --STOP-- Dream: Life is richer than it was last year at this time. Challenging, yes, yet the possibilities are endless. Perhaps I'll step back and appreciate simplicity rather than complexity this week. Ahhhhh.

"I've always been this way so...." --STOP-- Dream: It's a brand new day. It's possible for me to create, act dynamic, feel confident, behave outrageously and look as attractive as I want to. I dream of changing and creating a better me.

Here is strongest challenge that prevents us from dreaming: We talk/think too much. As shown above, we talk/think the same statements over and over again rather than beginning to dream of new approaches. This is your week to shake things up.

How did Adam save his life this week? He had a tough Monday. He was presented with every possible challenge. As his weary body left work to do the typical errands on his way home, something told him to Stop. He felt like treating himself to a different route, one that presented lovely vistas, less traffic and time to breathe. He put in a soothing CD. Adam found out that an accident that was fatal occurred during his traditional route home and had he been there...well, we don't want to go there.

Like my client, Adam, my wish for you is that you treat yourself to some time for dreaming this week. It just might save your life, your job or a relationship that's teetering. I really enjoy hearing how these weekly Success Thought of the Week works out in your life. Please keep them coming as I truly value each and every one.

Enjoy what you discover and use it to create an outstanding week!


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Fresh changes in your career will help you accelerate your success. Enjoy Master Certified Coach Ann Golden Eglé's weekly Success Thought for the Week as an aid to success. You can sign up here: http://www.GVAsuccess.com or email: info@GVAsuccess.com.

Remove the Worry in Life

There are many situations in life where we feel compelled to worry. Whether your money is tight this month or your job is on the verge of laying you off, there is little cause to worry.

Instead, do all that is within your power to develop a plan to carry you through your hard times and follow it. It has been said that about 85% of the things we worry about never actually happen. I’m guessing most of us spend a good amount of time each day worrying not only about the present, but also the future.

Instead of worry about something that statistically has very little chance of happening, live in the present and take life one moment at a time. Don’t get me wrong, as life happens you need to be prepared. The time you spend worry about things that will not ever happen can be put to better use improving your current way of life.

Many of the personal financial clients I work with are worried about future events and thus cannot focus on current events. While their worries may or may not come true, I have them focus their time and energy on the here and now. It is difficult to make any progress if more than half of your time is spent worrying about events that likely will not happen.

The very first Financial Freedom Step is to develop a beginner emergency fund. This should remove a small amount of worry in your finances. As you get out of debt (step 2) and develop a fully-funded emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses (step 3) your level of worry should be reduced even more. While we cannot prevent life from happening, we can minimize our worries and the effects of negative events by planning for the future.


Justin Lukasavige is a Personal & Business Coach and owner of Lukas Coaching. Visit www.lukascoaching.com/resources.htm for a ton of free tools to help you improve your health, finances, business, career & life!

For more free columns and articles, visit www.lukascoaching.com/articles.htm

The Accelerated Path to Personal Development

When people ask me what I consider entrepreneurial business, one of the definitions I use most often is that it's the accelerated path to personal development (on steroids). It is impossible to have a business, much less a soul-driven business that is your purpose manifest in the world, and not grow as a person. Here are five of the milestones of personal development that you may recognize yourself in random order (and if you haven't had them yet, keep an eye out!).

1. Know what you know. In order to optimize the expression of who you are in the world through your business, you have to "know what you know". That is, you must access and utilize what your "gut" tell you - no one else can do it for you. It is the only true decision-making process that you need, if you're doing it right.

2. Speak your truth. What's true isn't necessarily a truth... think about that one. For example, while today is nice, it may not be tomorrow, but the sun will rise today and the sun will rise tomorrow - that's the difference. Truth doesn't change. Be expressive and compassionate in honestly saying what needs to be said.

3. Personal power. Tapping into and making decisions from your personal power source requires you to develop an inner relationship with that source. If you're tapped in, you're tuned in... and that's the clearest path to showing up more effectively in the world.

4. Master priorities management. There isn't really such a thing as time management, because time marches on - it doesn't really respond to commands. But you can, and must, determine what's urgent (the '911'-types), what's important (essential but patiently waiting for you), and the non-essential (why bother?). If you aren't working the "critical inch" of your business, your business isn't working for you.

5. Distill to the essence. Everything you do matters - everything. And the way you do it does as well...make sure that you are focusing on the core activities, relationships and spirit of what's vital for you to feel good about your work AND your life.

While there are many other milestones for personal development as a result of doing soul-driven business, these five are central themes that I've discovered over the course of the last decade in working with entrepreneurs. If you're doing each of them consistently, your business is showing it... and if not, you've got some good accelerated growth opportunities waiting for you!

Manifestation Meditation, a Practical Guide to the Law of Attraction

Leave aside the marketing hype, The Secret and The Law of Attraction bear some truth: our thoughts create reality. Let me elaborate.

Universe is energy. This was demonstrated by science. Quantum Physics showed that there is no hard matter inside the atom: just various forms of energy. These energies are just particularizations of a basic state of matter called quantum field. This filed fills all the Universe. There is no such a thing as empty space in the Universe. Planets would not hold together around the sun if that was the case.

Most interesting, the quantum physicists were surprised to find out that the output of the experiments they ran were influenced by the observer ("observer effect"). Not subjectively as the in interpretation of the results or magnetic field interaction, but objectively as hard evidence that thoughts (what else does the observer create), bear energy that influenced the experiment. Translated in real life this means that our thoughts create reality indeed.

Are you still with me? Well, it was not simple to digest this for me either. OK, forget about the scientific mumbo jumbo. More down to earth, is easier to accept that once your mind is focused on a certain (desired) output, it segregates among choices and selects the favorable situations that will eventually help you to achieve your goals. This was easier to comprehend wasn't it?

Once accepted that your thoughts influence reality, than the most important thing becomes controlling your thoughts and focusing on the relevant thoughts for the reality you want to create.

Your mind is distracted all the time. Random thoughts, difficult to control and manage. A typical (untrained person) can not focus on a specific object (thought) more than few seconds at a time. And this precisely where meditation comes into the picture. It has a three fold benefit:

1. Meditation helps increasing the focus and awareness. At the beginning of your meditation practice you become aware of what your mind does and bring it back to your focus. With practice (sorry, not in two weeks though) you will be able to concentrate longer and longer on a certain thought and this has the effect of a magnifying glass under sun: it creates energy (caloric in that case).
2. Meditation creates the mind setup (a.k.a. the right mood) to take action and translates your thoughts in reality. Sorry to disappoint you but, the Universe will not bring it to you. This is the big deception in The Secret. You have to take action and go out there and get it. Well, meditation creates the motivation behind your actions.
3. Meditation makes you more aware of your emotions (not emotionless though). So your decisions or choices are more objective. You sleep over it, if you wish in a short time frame.


There are some simple meditation techniques you can implement in your daily routine. Twenty minutes of meditation every day go a long way. Even more, there are alternative means that can create a similar mind state with meditation a lot faster than classical meditation. During this state if you focus on the object you want to be manifested in your life, the effect of meditation increases exponentially.

For details on how to use meditation to help manifest the reality you desire please check:
Manifestation meditation

Take Charge of Your Thoughts -- The Power of the Mind to Create a New Reality

We've written in the past about staying positive in a negative world, but sometimes our battle isn't with the world at large but within ourselves. Our own negative thoughts or feelings of doubt are more of an enemy than worldwide circumstances. When everything is going exactly as planned, or at least close enough to the plan, it doesn't really matter what's going on outside our own little corner of the world. The greater challenge is when the struggle is just within our own mind.

We can overcome our own uncertainties through willful control of our thoughts. The book the Secret has been so popular lately because it teaches us just that. It teaches how to control your thoughts and bring about desired results through more positive thoughts.

I have struggled lately, not because of unemployment rates or rising fuel costs but because I am a natural born worrier and like to be in control. It's a toxic combination when it comes to have positive, hopeful thoughts. I do have a system for turning away the thoughts that come naturally when times are rough. I'd like to share it with you.

Often I will wake up and my first thoughts are about how I will get through this day. I have had hard times in the past but right now it has been less than 3 months since my husband died, I have concerns about my personal finances and huge concerns about how I will keep three boys ages 9 to 14 out of trouble while I work. Those are the natural thoughts that come into my head, I can't help that they get there, but I can get them out of my head.

When I awaken with negative, worrisome thoughts, I say in my head, "NO!" I stop them by telling myself, "No! I will not think that." We can't control what comes into our minds subconsciously but we can change it.

Next I replace the thoughts with hopeful thoughts. I express gratitude in my head for all that is right with my life. I have a wonderful support system of family and friends. I have a roof over my head and food in the pantry and huge business possibilities on the horizon. Today I am going to make a positive difference in the growth of our business and the future is very bright. I even focus on just the good things that will come about today such as the sun is finally shining after days of rain or the fact that I can choose my work hours and that means we'll fit in a family trip to the lake before the day is over.

It's all about stopping negative thoughts before they turn into a huge dialog. Change the conversation with yourself to one you'd like to have with another person. No one wants to hear a sob story, so treat your internal musings like a great uplifting conversation with a good friend. Before you know it, the despairing thoughts will no longer creep in and you will be able to make hopeful, uplifting thoughts about a great life your reality.

The thing to remember is that the more we think positive thoughts in our conscious hours the more those seep into our subconscious. This action will deter me from waking with negative thoughts.


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